When Roland’s Bakery closed last year, we wondered what might fill the void. Then we got wind of Wing Wings, the chicken and fries joint that promises finger-licking food late into the night.
We’re happy to report that, as of today, Wing Wings is officially open for business!
Wing Wings is the brainchild of Christian Ciscle, a Baltimore native who, after years of cooking in San Francisco, saw a need for the kind of uncomplicated soul food he remembers from back home. There are lots of great restaurants in the city, he says, but “there are not a lot of options for basic, simple, straightforward food.” Ciscle is no stranger to the Lower Haight. When he moved to the city in '96, Haight and Fillmore was the first place he came. He opened Big Sherm’s Fresh Sandwiches 12 years ago in what is now Estela’s space. Since then, Ciscle has been working with the likes of BlueJay Cafe, Farmer Brown, and Little Skillet. He still considers the Lower Haight to be his ‘hood. "I loved the neighborhood back then," he said, and his feelings haven't faded. "It's one of the few neighborhoods that hasn't been completely transformed." So, what’s on the menu? First and foremost, there will be wings. Available in orders of 5, 10 and 25, wings will come with a variety of sauces including Buffalo, BBQ, Herb, Korean, Orange Miso, Sweet Mustard, Dry Rub and the enigmatic “Wing Wing.” (The wings come from free range, naturally fed California chickens, and everything is made from scratch in the kitchen.) Extra toppings include blue cheese, ranch, remoulade and pickles. Fries can be ordered seasoned or topped with gravy. Also on the menu are scrumptious-sounding extras like fried oyster mushrooms, chicken tenders, buttermilk biscuits and gravy, macaroni salad, coleslaw and fried plantains. For dessert, Wing Wings offers coconut rice pudding, fresh fruit pies, peanut butter chocolate cookies, and crème brulee from the Crème Brulee Cart. Wash your meal down with a choice of limeade, fruit punch, iced coffee or tea. The space has limited bar seating, and Ciscle anticipates that much of Wing Wings’ business will be in the take-out tradition. “We want people to call in their order and take it to the bar, take it home, take it to the park.” Inside the shop, black and white photos by Wing Wings partner Lisa Shin line the walls. The color scheme is orange, white and black, to pay homage both to the Baltimore Orioles and the hometown Giants. But, Ciscle says, the space is designed to be clean and simple. “The people are going to be the atmosphere. I can’t wait to see the mix of people that comes in here.” Wing Wings will be open from 11am to midnight on weeknights (closed on Tuesdays), and 11am to 2am on weekends (Ciscle has applied for a special permit to stay open until 3am). Eventually, he plans to do neighborhood delivery, business delivery, and city-wide delivery by bike courier. Welcome to the neighborhood, Wing Wings! For more information, visit www.wingwingssf.com, follow Wing Wings on Twitter @wingwingssf, or check out their Facebook page.
Wing Wings is the brainchild of Christian Ciscle, a Baltimore native who, after years of cooking in San Francisco, saw a need for the kind of uncomplicated soul food he remembers from back home. There are lots of great restaurants in the city, he says, but “there are not a lot of options for basic, simple, straightforward food.” Ciscle is no stranger to the Lower Haight. When he moved to the city in '96, Haight and Fillmore was the first place he came. He opened Big Sherm’s Fresh Sandwiches 12 years ago in what is now Estela’s space. Since then, Ciscle has been working with the likes of BlueJay Cafe, Farmer Brown, and Little Skillet. He still considers the Lower Haight to be his ‘hood. "I loved the neighborhood back then," he said, and his feelings haven't faded. "It's one of the few neighborhoods that hasn't been completely transformed." So, what’s on the menu? First and foremost, there will be wings. Available in orders of 5, 10 and 25, wings will come with a variety of sauces including Buffalo, BBQ, Herb, Korean, Orange Miso, Sweet Mustard, Dry Rub and the enigmatic “Wing Wing.” (The wings come from free range, naturally fed California chickens, and everything is made from scratch in the kitchen.) Extra toppings include blue cheese, ranch, remoulade and pickles. Fries can be ordered seasoned or topped with gravy. Also on the menu are scrumptious-sounding extras like fried oyster mushrooms, chicken tenders, buttermilk biscuits and gravy, macaroni salad, coleslaw and fried plantains. For dessert, Wing Wings offers coconut rice pudding, fresh fruit pies, peanut butter chocolate cookies, and crème brulee from the Crème Brulee Cart. Wash your meal down with a choice of limeade, fruit punch, iced coffee or tea. The space has limited bar seating, and Ciscle anticipates that much of Wing Wings’ business will be in the take-out tradition. “We want people to call in their order and take it to the bar, take it home, take it to the park.” Inside the shop, black and white photos by Wing Wings partner Lisa Shin line the walls. The color scheme is orange, white and black, to pay homage both to the Baltimore Orioles and the hometown Giants. But, Ciscle says, the space is designed to be clean and simple. “The people are going to be the atmosphere. I can’t wait to see the mix of people that comes in here.” Wing Wings will be open from 11am to midnight on weeknights (closed on Tuesdays), and 11am to 2am on weekends (Ciscle has applied for a special permit to stay open until 3am). Eventually, he plans to do neighborhood delivery, business delivery, and city-wide delivery by bike courier. Welcome to the neighborhood, Wing Wings! For more information, visit www.wingwingssf.com, follow Wing Wings on Twitter @wingwingssf, or check out their Facebook page.
